Don't give Hasan the martyrdom he wants

2:42 AM,
Sep. 3, 2013

Written by

James Alan Fox

The 13 members of the jury of military officers took less than two hours - lightning speed by courtroom standards - to reach a unanimous verdict that Maj. Nidal Hasan should be executed for his 2009 rampage at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas that left 13 dead and 31 more wounded.

My sense, beyond a reasonable doubt, is that no one was at all surprised by the outcome, including the defendant himself. After all, Hasan, who stubbornly yet purposely elected to represent himself during the trial, wanted nothing in the way of a defense to the capital murder charges to be employed on his behalf. And ...